Syrian dictator Assad welcomes Trump victory

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad believes Donald Trump’s election win has saved them from a Hillary Clinton administration which would have sought to stop Russia backing the regime’s campaign in Aleppo. A senior pro-Assad official told Reuters they had planned to capture the rebel-held east of the city before January because they expected Mrs

Clinton to cause them problems after her inauguration. If Trump’s pre-election comments on Syria crystallize into policy, it might mean Washington, Moscow and Damascus cooperating against ISIS, whose stronghold is Raqqa in eastern Syria. One complicating factor could be Trump’s tough stance on Iran, Assad’s other main military backer. READ MORE